The goal of this program is to provide postdoctoral fellows with research training sufficient to allow them to establish independent investigative careers devoted to improving care of the anesthetized/critically ill patient by advancing knowledge in the field. To meet this objective, the Department of Anesthesiology at Duke University Medical Center has intensively invested its resources in the development of multidisciplinary laboratory and clinical research environments capable of offering state of the art research training experiences. This proposal outlines the credentials of a diverse but cohesive faculty who are willing and prepared to meet this objective. The structure of the training program involves a 2-3 year continuum when the trainees work under the close and direct supervision of a faculty member on research projects of mutual interest. Early emphasis will be placed on learning research skills and achieving mastery of the literature. Later emphasis will be directed towards independent hypothesis generation, experimental design, data analysis, presentation of research findings and competition for external funding. The trainee will be encouraged to exploit relationships established with members of the program faculty for both enrichment of research skill repertoires and development of long-term collaborative relationships. Training in the responsible conduct of research will be an integral part of the program. The program will directed by the Program Director and an Executive Committee consisting of 4 training faculty and the departmental chairman. These individuals will meet at quarterly intervals to assess program performance in achieving outlined objectives and for review of activities and progress of the individual trainees. Trainees will be sought from a national pool of eligible candidates. Although the primary focus of this project is on the training of select post-doctoral fellows, it is also believed that the Integrated Training in Anesthesiology Research program is the cornerstone and sets the standard for investigative training also offered to medical students, junior faculty, and international scholars who share the laboratory/clinical research environment. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This program is designed to provide intensive training in research relevant to patients requiring critical care and/or anesthesia. Provision of the next generation of physician-scientists will serve to improve medical care based on acquisition of scientific evidence and better understanding of relevant disease states.